Tandem seat construction



y 1931- c. A. VAN PAPPELENDAM 1,807,077

TANDEM SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 20, 1929 INVENTOR Cfi. .mn. Paffetendgg ATTORNEY-S Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cmnnnrnm: vA 'rArrELEnnAM, or KEOKUK, Iowa TANDEM SEAT oonsrrmorron '1" 'An object of my' invention is to provide a tandem seat construction of the type whereby the occupants of the seats will be positioned in relatively close relation, thereby permitting the vehicle, such as a motorcycle,

3 to 'beeasily controlled and providing easy riding qualities.

A further object is to provide a tandem seat construction for motorcycles arranged in such a way that the rear seat is positioned 52 near the center of the motorcycle, thereby minimizing in a large measure the shaking incidental to riding the usual tandem seat constructions.

' with respect to the front seat for permitting unity of-operation as when two people are riding a motorcycle, and in which means is 1 provided for disconnecting the rigid comiection-"between the two seats for permitting relative movement of one seat with respect to the other as when the front seatv alone is occupied. f

Other objects and advantages will appear features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portlon of a motorcycle embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of my invention,

Figure 4 is a side view of the structure shown in Figure 3, and

are attached to the vehicle.

In carrying out my invention, I make use- -.mounted upon the frame in the following speclfication, and the novel Application filed September 20, 1929. Serial No. 393,992.

tary view of a motorcycle. The motorcycle is provided with a rear wheell for supporting a frame 2 which carriesa gas tank 3. In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a bracket 4 as being disposed upon the tank 3. A front 7 seat supporting'frame 5 'is pivotally mounted at 6 with respect to the bracket 4. The supporting frame comprises members 7Iand 8. The members 7 and 8 are pivotally mounted at 9 on the bracket 4. The rear ends of the members 7 and, 8 are connected together by means of a cross member 10 whichis preferably provided with an opening 11 for receiving a bolt12 which operatively connects a rear seat supporting'element 13. The forward end. of the rear supporting element is hingedly connected with respect to the rear end of thefront seat supporting structure 5. I A further object is to provide a tandem r31 seat construction for motorcycles in which means is provided for locking the rear seat The rear seat may be rigidly connected with ilshe front seat, as will be more fully explained ater. 1 r The rear end of the front seat supporting frame 5 is providedwith a U-shaped rod construction 14, the lower ends of which are 0peratively connected with springs 15. One, end of each of the springs 15 is connected withone end of the. U-shaped member 14. The opposite ends of the springs are connected'with brackets "16 which are rigidly portions 17 of the frameproper. V

In Figure'5 I have shown the manner in whichthe springs 15 are connected'with the brackets 16. The upper ends of the-springs are rigidly secured to the brackets by .means .of. suitable U bolts 18. The extreme endsof the -U construction 14 are operativelyconnected with the lower ends of the springs '15 .in such a. manner'that a downward movementof the seat supporting frame 5 will :cause an elongation or. the springs.

means for connecting the U-shaped construction 14 with the frame 5 comprises a bar 19 .whjich is provided withloops 20 through Figure 5 is a sectional detail view showingthe manner in which the spring mountings which the member 14 projects. The bar is rigidly secured to the frame 5 by any suitable means, such as welding or bolting.

The

The rear seat supporting structure 13 is operatively connected with a rear U-shaped mem r 2 T pp 1 i l pe a t.

17 of the main assembly. In, Figure 1 I have shown a front seat and a rear seat 26 as being mounted in their respective positions. The seats are provided with the usual metal supporting covering underneath. The front seat may be rigidly secured in position by means of suitable rivets or bolts 27 see Figure 2. The rear seat may be secured upon the rear seat supportingbracket 13 by means of similar rivets or bolts 28.

-- Therear seat support 13 is provided with an arm 29. The latter is rigidly connected withrespect to the support 13. A locking lever 30 is pivotally mounted at 31 upon the member 7. The lever is looped as at 32, iwhereby when the lever is moved from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, the arm 9. will be disposed within the loop for rigidly connecting the rear seat support 13 with the front seat support 5.

When, however, the lever 30 is in the full line positionshown in Figures 3 and 4, the rear seat will be flexiblyconnected with the front seat; that is to say, when an occupant is seated upon the front seat, the latter operates independently of the rear seat. Any movement of the front seat will cause a pivotal-action of the rear seat about the rear end connection of the support 13. When, however, both the front and the rear seats are occupied, the lever 30 is moved'to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, at which time the front and rear seats will be rigidly connected.

- In-referring to Figure 2, it will be noted thatthe forward ends of the members 7 and 8 are spread apart, wherebythe seat supports are rigidly supported against lateral movement. It will be noted that the front and rear seats are grouped relatively closetogetherand between the front and rear wheels. This construction provides a seat arrangement whicheliminates in a large measure the shaking incidental to the usual tandem seat constructions. Further than this, I have pro- 2 vided an arrangement whereby a considerable amountlof space is attained above the rear wheel for permitting baggage and the like to be carried. In addition to providing an easy riding seat construction, I have also grouped gthe'seats so that the motorcycle is easy to control; Each seat is provided with individual spring suspensions which may be rigidly locked together and which,when it is desired,

V may beprovided; with aflexible connection for permitting asingle occupant to ride with ease.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle having a frame supported on front and rear wheels, the combination of means for mounting a plurality of seats upon said frame, a hinge connection between the seats, and means cooperating with said hinge connection for rigidly connecting the seats.

v2. Ina vehicle having a frame supported on front and rear wheels, the combination of a pair of seats yieldingly mounted upon the frame, a hinge connection between said seats, and means for making the hinge connection rigid whereby the seats may be connected as a unit.

3. Inavehicle having a frame supported on wheels, a plurality of seats mounted in tandem relation upon the frame, a hinge connection between the'seats, and means for making said hinge connection rigid, whereby seats will function as a unit.

4. In a vehicle having a frame supported on wheels, a plurality of seats arranged in tandem relation, spring means supported by the frame and operativelyflconnected with each of the seats, a hingeconnection between the seats, and means for making-the hinge connection rigid. r a 5. In a'vehicle having a frame supported on front and rear wheels, a plurality. of seats arranged in tandem relation and positioned the between the front and rearwheels, spring Signed at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, this 16th day of September, A. D. nineteen hundred andtwenty-nine. CARL ALFRED van PAPPELENDAM. 

